The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-06-09
INSTANCES or MORBID IMPULSE.

Cases Of Emotional Insanity ''-Fatal
Fa>eiuation of sudden Thought
1t il n familiar idea that people at the
top of high tower or on the edge of
dir clilf feel tempted to throw them
selves over. This is, perhaps, the conn
moneat instance of morbid impulse
Yet there il in the term a significance, a
breadth of suggestion, which must relate
back to the experience of every man and
woman and explain feelings which have
at the time seemed odd beyond explana-
ton, feelings which have often lel an
innocent, self L, sDectiny individual to the
very We, of :.n at-oci;y which would
have NH 10 of him criminal
Morbid impulses may be criminal or
humorous. The humorous no doubt,
when executed. often carry their perpe-
TRAITOR to the commission of assault and
battery, Mt l. asst. That the criminal in-
pulses of this kind are responsible for
very laf-ee proportion of oiieIIses against
criminal laws no one acquainted with
that line of defense known as emotional
insanity can for moment doubt. And
the very vital interest attaching To all
such cases depends in large degree on
the hazv and almost indelin3ble causes
and surroundings which are involved in
the consideration of morbid impulses.
History records notable instances. 1t
WIS. PERTAINS. more than anything else.
dut. Ca "A morbid impulse that Nero struck
| off the head of that Roman artisan who
| came to him with beaten glass cup in
his hand and affirmed that the secret of
making glass nalleable had yielded To
| his patient investigation The historians
| who men.io. tire hitherto irrepardble loss
| civilization has sustained by the failure
| to perpet;Iate this wonderful invention
| ascribe Ncro's act to a fear lest the
| precious metals should be superseded
But to n student of this fascinating sub
iect there can be no doubt that Nero fell
an instantaneous victim to morbid I'M
pulls. TO crush out at one blow tins mar
velou5 discovery. 1t seems, mdceI,
relief to find SO human an impulse IN tho
nature of a creature who was 50 III
human as to fidslle when the greatest
city of tho world was burning.
Ratings are built securely around the
tops of all the talIest towers in the work.
to prevent involuntary. suicides. Ihc
subject of a morbid impulse loses at once
all r,,.yar1 for consequences. Whether
TIN, IduIgence Of the craving so suddenly
born VII put an end tn his own life, even
or iIiiis-t a dlncerou or fatal injury 81
some other, perhaps Il friend or love,
one, is immateriai.
1t is quite conceivable that a dentist
ON almost uncOveriuS the throbbing nerve
of a tooth should he seized with "a sud
den desire to penetrate to that sensitive
tissue. and sIlouii, with one movenlen
of tht, wrist thrust tine instrument deel
into the agonize,l cavity. But 1t L7n
likely that such cases would becoin
known if they happened. And Their
} wouli be under all such circumstance
the general excuse of accident unfore
seen complication.
1t is thought by some that many of tn
instances recorded in tine daily papers O
fatal wounds inflicted by weapons in IN
hands of persons who didn't know the
Were l,;t,led'' may be explained on tn
theory of morbid impuls-s. The lrisi
man at Donnybrook fair, who hat ever
bare pete lie saw, was moved first OF a
By Il morbid impulse. There is somethin
t!evilish in the disposition of many If no
: most human beings. which may neve
crop out. never come to be realized IN u
| domain of their consciousness. but whic
= may seize ON them with a force appnT
emily superhuman at some critical mC
/, ment. when weapon in hand. perhaps i
sport, IA human life Is ut sud leHly III III
I baIance AMI a nor5id impulse weigh
down the fatal scale.
5 1t L. undoubtedly . morbid impUl7
p which IsG-lr.Ipts one to laugh consumed
, ct the .,I!t OF n stranger ON tine icy pave
mcnt. There Is nothing IN itself amusln
in a fall, which may iniiict great injury
But laugh on a public thorouShfare
generally is attendant.
People riding in railway cars are n'
infrequently slnitten by morbid impulst
u to knock the hats off people ON the static
platform as the train passes People cal
= inS on a parvcnu are often tempted
). shrek out in his crowded drawing ROOF
that he made his millions pig stickin;
. Peoplt. III public as7einblage are fani
iarly reminded of the man who siriele
IL Just to break the stiffness when Pat
: resteI SO long on high G.. Every ma
!. may have, and most people do iiav'
h morbid impulses. The well discipline
3 mind doesn't yield TO and is often IL
!, con. c.oJi8 of tiIem.-John Paul BocOck
Uetrc.t Tree Press.